Colonial Discourse and the Suffering of Indian American Children Book Cover.webp

In this book, we analyze the psycho-social consequences faced by Indian American children after exposure to the school textbook discourse on Hinduism and ancient India. We demonstrate that there is an intimate connection—an almost exact correspondence—between James Mill’s colonial-racist discourse (Mill was the head of the British East India Company) and the current school textbook discourse. This racist discourse, camouflaged under the cover of political correctness, produces the same psychological impacts on Indian American children that racism typically causes: shame, inferiority, embarrassment, identity confusion, assimilation, and a phenomenon akin to racelessness, where children dissociate from the traditions and culture of their ancestors.


This book is the result of four years of rigorous research and academic peer-review, reflecting our ongoing commitment at Hindupedia to challenge the representation of Hindu Dharma within academia.

Gaṅgāvataraṇa

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Gaṅgāvataraṇa literally means ‘descent of the river Gaṅgā’.

The story of Bhagīratha who brings the celestial river Gaṅgā down to this earth has been described in great detail in the Rāmāyana,[1] the Bhāgouota,[2] the Mahābhārata[3] and the Mārkandeya Purāna.[4] This has often provided the artisans and sculptors with an inspiring theme for their work.

In Mahābalipuram (or Māmallā-puram) situated 50 kms. to the south of Madras (now Chennai) there is a distinguished relief work carved into a huge rock depicting the descent of Gaṅgā on this earth. It has many details, such as ascetics in prayer, pilgrims, animals of all kinds heading towards the sacred water and so on. It belongs to the 7th century A. D.


References[edit]

  1. Rāmāyana 1.43
  2. Bhāgouota 9.9
  3. Mahābhārata Vanaparva 109
  4. Mārkandeya Purāna 53
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore